Protecting your child from homophobia and ignorance

When you have a kid, no matter who you are as a parent, you are and will forever be, their best advocate.
You will have to stand up for them and those rights wherever you go. This is no different. If your child has a peanut allergy or they are special needs, or if they are different or special or something; for their whole life, until they can do it for them self, this is no different. Are you going to go and educate every teacher through Kindergarten through Middle School? Yes. Are you going to face homophobia and have to talk to parents? You are?
You are just going to have to be your child's advocate until they can do it for themselves. You just cannot back down. The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with having a child -- If you are gay. If you are straight. If you are infertile. If you are single. We all have a right to be parents and we have to protect our children against other people's ignorance.
That's our job.

Kim Bergman, PhD

Family Therapist

Kim Bergman, PhD, a licensed psychologist of 22 years, has specialized in the area of gay and lesbian parenting, parenting by choice and third party assisted reproduction for the last two decades. Dr. Bergman has created a comprehensive psychological screening, support and monitoring process for Intended Parents, Surrogates and Donors. She is the co-owner of Fertility Counseling Services and Growing Generations and is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the American Fertility Association, the American Psychological Association, the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, the Lesbian and Gay Psychotherapy Association, and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. She is on the national board of the Family Equality Council. Dr. Bergman writes, teaches and speaks extensively on parenting by choice. Along with co-authors, she published "Gay Men Who Become Fathers via Surrogacy: The Transition to Parenthood" (Journal of GLBT Family Studies, April 2010). Dr. Bergman created her own family using third party assisted reproduction and she lives with her wife of 28 years and their two teenage daughters.

When you have a kid, no matter who you are as a parent, you are and will forever be, their best advocate.
You will have to stand up for them and those rights wherever you go. This is no different. If your child has a peanut allergy or they are special needs, or if they are different or special or something; for their whole life, until they can do it for them self, this is no different. Are you going to go and educate every teacher through Kindergarten through Middle School? Yes. Are you going to face homophobia and have to talk to parents? You are?
You are just going to have to be your child's advocate until they can do it for themselves. You just cannot back down. The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with having a child -- If you are gay. If you are straight. If you are infertile. If you are single. We all have a right to be parents and we have to protect our children against other people's ignorance.
That's our job.